20 MISCELLANEOUS NOTICES. 



The figure and description given by Swainson are sufficiently accurate, except that the bill and 

 legs aroj^in my specimen, dark brown. I should also prefer for the upper plumage to read 

 'olive green' for ^olivo' ffrei/ ;' though you know how difficult it is to characterize some of those 

 undecisive colours. My brother has also a male Serin, captured in April about the same 

 locality. He has paired it with a hen Canary, and had a nest of males, which are unfortunately 

 deceased. The hen is, however, building again. The Serin was very attentive, feeding her on 

 the nest. Last summer I sent some notice to Mr. Yarrell of a FringiUa Hispaniolensis, (Fring. 

 or Pyrgita, Petronia,) shot four or five years previously in Mr. Thistle way te's woods, about 

 five miles from here. It was brought newly-killed to Mr. Elkins, who keeps a "curiosity shop" 

 in Broad-Street, and by him set up. I took some pains to ascertain this statement, and am 

 myself quite satisfied of its correctness. The specimen is now in the Museum of the Philosophical 

 Society of this place. I shall be happy to furnish any further particulars if you desire them. 

 —William Hazel, (in a letter to the llev. F. 0. Morris,) Portsmouth, July 6th., 1852. 



A White Starling, (Sturnus vulgaris.) — A pure "White Starling has been seen the last thi'ee 

 or four weeks, amongst a flock of its own species in our Abbey meadows.— Thomas Turner, 

 Friars, Leicester, October 6th., 1852. 



On the 14th. of this month, I saw near this place, a flock of more than twenty Fieldfares, 

 ( Tardus pilaris,) which is, I believe, very early in the season for them to make their 

 appearance here. — Thomas Kirkham, Fairfield, near Manchester, August 17th., 1852. 



A. IVJiite 5o5w2.— From the Dumfries Courier, about the 15th. of May last, I copied the following": 

 ~A few days ago, Mr. Rimmer, who is an enthusiastic ornithologist, observed a small light- 

 coloured bird in the grounds of Kirkmichael house, which he did not recognise. He shot it, 

 and discovered it to be a Eobin, with the usual orange-red breast, but the rest of the plumage 

 of a light cream-colour. The specimen procured by Mr. Rimmer has been stuffed, and placed 

 by the side of an ordinary bird, compared with which it appears about a third smaller in size, 

 and is altogether of a weaker build, b<?aring out the idea that Albinos are either diseased or 

 weakly. The back is white, with a few streaks of liglit brown; the belly with more white 

 than usual ; the wings nearly all white, with a few pale olive feathers ; and the legs very light 

 coloured. It is only in the distinguishing red breast that its plumage at all resembles that of 

 the ordinary Robin.— George B. Clarke, "Woburn, Beds., June 9th., 1852, 



Robin's nest attacked by an Adder. --The following is copied from the Newcastle Courant: — 

 Charles Newall, granite hewer, in Dalbeattie, was plying his vocation on May 20th., at Craignair 

 quarry, when he heard a bird's distress; hurrying to the spot, he discovered a Robin in the 

 greatest agitation. An Adder, twenty inches long, had dragged itself up the face of the 

 quarry, and was protiiiding its head over the edge of a nest built among the brushwood, and 

 containing poor Robin's unfledged offspring. She was alternately coming down upon the spoliator, 

 darting her beak into his forehead, and rising to the height of a yard or so above the scene. 

 It was the act of a moment for him to dislodge the aggressor. While he was killing the Adder 

 the bird perched upon his arm, and watched with intense delight every blow inflicted on her 

 enemy; and when that enemy lay dead, alighted upon and pecked the lifeless trunk with all 

 her vigour. She then entered her nest, and having ascertained that all was safe, swiftly 

 repaired to a neighbouring branch, and piped as best she could, what was no doubt meant for 

 a hymn of gratitude, and song of triumph.— Idem. 



Domesticity of the Robin.— The undermentioned I copied from a Lon'don Weekly Paper, of 

 June 5th.— A very singular instance of the docility of the Robin may be seen in the village 

 of Bishop's Cleeve, Gloucestershire. A Redbreast has quartered itself in the sitting-room oc- 

 cupied by the family of a shoe-maker, named Tecnd ; it has taken up its abode on the mantle- 

 piece, behind a tea-pot, where, having built its nest and laid its eggs, it may now be seen 

 sitting without apparently being in the least incommoded by the presence of the family or 

 strangers, of whom it takes po notice. The bird will allow itself to be handled, and even 

 caressed on its nest. It takes its food fearlessly from the family table, and appears to recognise 

 the dilJbrcnt members.— Idem. 



I obtained this morning the following rarities:— A very fine yo\mg specimen of the Little 

 Bittern, (Ardea minuta,) and a fine specimen of Acherontia Atropos. — T. S. Ruud, Redcar, 

 September 29th., 1852. 



